By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The silver Kennedy Half Greenback was first issued in 1964 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy simply months after his stunning assassination in Dallas. However this want to commemorate the beloved younger President in silver ran opposite to the evolving realities of the marketplace for the valuable metallic.
In 1965, when Congress acted to alter the composition of America’s silver cash to base-metal clad, it made an exception for the half greenback, which merely noticed a discount to 40% silver (the rest being a copper-nickel alloy). It’s not solely due to this carve out that the half greenback denomination fell out of day by day use, however it actually didn’t assist issues that Congress didn’t see match to work with the merchandising machine trade to discover a resolution for the cumbersome coin now that it’s measurement and weight was now not based mostly on the coin’s intrinsic worth.
Accumulating the Silver-Clad Kennedy Half Greenback
The Silver Clad-Kennedy Half Greenback kind is an inexpensive and simply completable subset of the Kennedy Half Greenback collection. The set consists of six enterprise strikes, three Particular Mint Set cash, and three Proof points.
Kennedy Half {Dollars}, Silver-Clad Sort (1965-1970) |
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| Enterprise Strikes | Particular Mint Set Cash | Proof Cash |
| 1965 | 1965 | |
| 1966 | 1966 | |
| 1967 | 1967 | |
| 1968-D | 1968-S | |
| 1969-D | 1969-S | |
| 1970-D | 1970-S | |
Enterprise strikes have been produced for all six years, though all enterprise strikes produced from 1968-1970 carry the “D” mintmark of the Denver Mint. Uncirculated examples of those cash might be acquired in the US Mint’s annual Uncirculated Coin Units, which resumed manufacturing in 1968.
Particular Mint Set cash have been produced on the market as a substitute for the Mint’s annual Uncirculated Units and Proof Units. The cash are quasi-Proofs, however not made to the identical specs. These units have been produced on the San Francisco Assay Workplace however don’t carry a mintmark. They have been bought at a difficulty value of $4 and included every of the 5 cash struck that 12 months. The 1965 Particular Mint Set was produced in 1966, whereas manufacturing of the 1966 Particular Mint Set cash started in August of that 12 months. These units might be obtained as we speak for lower than $15 every.
Proof Set manufacturing resumed in 1968. As with the Particular Mint Units, Proofs have been struck in San Francisco, however this time carried the “S” mintmark. Between 2.6 and three million units have been produced every of the three years that silver-clad Kennedy Half {Dollars} have been struck, so collectors may have little hassle buying a set for an affordable value.
In-Depth Date Evaluation by CoinWeek Notes
Kennedy Half Greenback, Silver-Clad Design
Obverse:
Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts tailored the Kennedy Half Greenback obverse from his work on the Kennedy Inaugural Medal. President Kennedy’s left-facing portrait is the design’s central motif. Wrapping across the higher portion of the rim is the phrase LIBERTY. The nationwide motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in a straight line that extends from the left edge to the fitting fringe of the coin, with “GOD” and “WE” separated by the truncation of Kennedy’s neck. The date 1964 wraps across the backside of the design. Roberts’ initials seem on the truncation of Kennedy’s neck above the phrase “WE”.
Reverse:
Roberts’ assistant Frank Gasparro tailored the Kennedy Half Greenback reverse design from the Seal of the President of the US. A heraldic eagle is splayed, its chest protected by the Union protect. Clutched in its beak is a ribbon emblazoned with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. A glory of rays, clouds, and stars followers out from behind the eagle. The 13 stars symbolize the unique British American colonies, whereas the rays and clouds signify heaven and the divine windfall the founders believed impressed the formation of the US. The eagle’s talons grip an olive department in its dexter and a twig of arrows in its sinister. Fifty stars encompass this central motif.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps across the high of the design. The denomination HALF DOLLAR wraps across the backside. Gasparro’s initials FG seem between the eagle’s left leg and tail feathers.
Edge:
The sting of the Kennedy Half Greenback is reeded.
Coin Specs
| Kennedy Half Greenback | Silver-Clad Sort |
| Years of Concern: | 1965-70 |
| Mintage (Circulation): | Excessive: 295,046,978 (1967); Low: 2,150,000 (1970-D) |
| Mintage (Proof): | Excessive: 3,041,506 (1968-S); Low: 2,632,810 (1970-S) |
| Alloy: | .400 Silver, .600 Copper (Outer layers of .800 Silver, .200 Copper bonded to an inside core of .209 Silver, .791 Copper) |
| Weight: | 11.5 g |
| Diameter: | 30.6 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Gilroy Roberts |
| REV Designer: | Frank Gasparro |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike, Specimen, Proof |
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Extra References
Bowers, Q. David. The Consultants Information to Accumulating and Investing in Uncommon Cash. Whitman Publishing.
–. A Information Ebook of United States Sort Cash. Whitman Publishing.
Breen, Walter. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Cash. Doubleday.
Guth, Ron, and Jeff Garrett. United States Coinage: A Research by Sort. Whitman Publishing.
Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. Arco Publishing.
Yeoman, R.S., and Jeff Garrett (editor). The Official Pink Ebook: A Information Ebook of United States Cash. Whitman Publishing.
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